Do You Have A Light?
by MCalhen
Summary: Tohru Saeki meets Kirie Tsuchiya one morning, and they share two things in common: smoking and their mutual dislike of Kiyotaka Narumi. Takes place during Spiral Alive.


_**AN:** Apparently, I now ship Kirie with everyone. It randomly came into my head that I could ship her with Tohru, and then I thought, "How exactly can I do that? Oh! They both smoke." Cal, you're so fucking clever. /sarcasm_

_Anyway, not exactly a pairing fic, just a oneshot, and I'm really uncertain about it. I'll post it anyway. I really hope I kept them in character.  
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><p>"Do you have a light?"<p>

Tohru Saeki glanced up from his newspaper to look at the young woman standing next to his table. He had a neglected cigarette burning in the ashtray next to his equally ignored doughnut – a sure sign that he was a smoker (when he remembered he had a stick lit). The woman seemed irritated by something. She pinned some of her long pink bangs, which appeared to have fallen loose from her clip, behind her ear and held up an unlit cigarette.

"Just a minute," he said. His hand scrambled around in the pocket of his blazer until they found his lighter.

As he handed it to her, she said, "Your cigarette would have worked fine, but thanks."

"Oh, right," he muttered.

After she had ignited the tobacco sufficiently and gave it a few test puffs, she slipped the lighter back into his palm. "I couldn't find mine. I think I know who stole it. As if that would make me quit!"

She made to walk away, but the café was unbearably quiet that early in the morning and Tohru felt compelled to keep her nearby. Maybe it was that she was pretty. She didn't seem stupid, either – just maybe not entirely friendly. "Wait!"

She blinked at him a few times in surprise. Then her eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Uh, would you like to have coffee with me? Or tea? It's on me." He gestured to the empty seat across from him.

She stood there, considering it. Tohru reached for his cigarette and they puffed together in awkward silence until she finally slid into the booth.

"I'm Torhu Saeki," he said.

"Kirie," she said plainly. Her eyes lowered to his doughnut and lingered there.

"Do you want it?" He slid the plate closer. "I haven't touched it. I guess I'm not really that hungry."

"Thanks," she said, snatching it up without hesitation. "I worked all night – no food, no sleep. Oh well, I guess _gears_ don't get time off." She bit into the doughnut rather viciously, as if she were tearing a nasty wound into her employer.

Tohru didn't often feel intimidated by anyone. He was a detective, for fuck's sake – if he didn't have a backbone, he couldn't do his job! But this woman was making his spine feel soft, and he distracted himself by drinking more of his coffee. She wore a lab coat buttoned up over her blouse; although her legs were hidden under the table, when she'd been standing beside him, he'd seen the long skirt she wore.

"What kind of work kept you up so late?" he finally asked. He already anticipated the answer. She looked like a doctor. However, he didn't know what she meant by "gear".

"_Science_." Something about her tone said, _Don't ask me any further questions._ He didn't.

The waitress came over to refill his coffee, saving him from trying to revive the conversation that had quickly died. Then he remembered his original offer.

"What did you want to drink?" he asked Kirie.

"Coffee, I suppose," she said. "I've got a long day ahead of me."

The waitress nodded, walked off, and returned with a cup, which she filled with the pot she carried on her.

"So what do you do?" Kirie asked, tearing into sugar packets and adding the contents to her brew. She swirled it around slowly with her spoon.

"I'm a detective."

"Oh, that must keep you busy."

"Not lately," he said with contempt. "I had a case that dealt with a lot of murdered teens, but the case was almost completely handed over to this bastard, Kiyotaka Narumi."

Kirie's eyes widened. "Kiyotaka Narumi!"

Tohru stared at her. "Do you know him?"

"He's the son of a bitch who had me working late! I know what case you're talking about. The music box murders, right?" She paused to take a drink. When her cup clinked against the saucer, she sighed. "I was doing lab work for that case."

"I'm sorry you ever had to meet such a man," said Tohru honestly. It was refreshing to finally meet someone who didn't ramble giddily about Narumi's detective or piano skills. The fans were nearly as bad as the man they worshipped and called a God! Even someone respectable and intelligent like Madoka Haneoka was fond of that damned man. It was enough for her to marry him!

"It's necessary in my line of work," she said cryptically, pulling out a fresh cigarette. He reached back into his pocket to withdraw his lighter, grabbing his pack of smokes out as well. He tapped the package against his palm lightly and the filters poked out. He snatched one up and lit it once his lighter was returned.

As he did so, he checked the time. What horrible luck, to meet a beautiful woman and have to leave for work within the next few minutes! He was never the type to show up late. That wasn't the kind of man he'd been raised to be. Yet it was such a tempting thought. If only he could be granted just a little more of the morning with her…

"I have to get going soon," he said, frowning. "My apologies."

"It's fine, I have to work, too," Kirie grumbled, but she turned up one corner of her mouth in a partial smile.

After he had summoned for the check and paid, he stood up and straightened out his suit. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Kirie," said Tohru.

To his delight, she smiled up at him. "The pleasure was mine!"


End file.
